


Of Family and Friends

by nanuk_dain



Series: Of Soldiers and Secrets [6]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-24
Updated: 2011-08-24
Packaged: 2017-10-23 00:39:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/244340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanuk_dain/pseuds/nanuk_dain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Easy boys are like family. Or: Malarkey and Luz talk about Mama Lip and Papa Speirs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Family and Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Français available: [Of Family and Friends](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7972711) by [HBOWarrior](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HBOWarrior/pseuds/HBOWarrior)



  
[   
](http://pics.livejournal.com/nanuk_dain/pic/0008xqg1)   


 

Luz put the box on the counter and huffed out a breath. That had been the last one for today. Now he just had to get through all that stuff and get it to whoever was supposed to get what. Well, Haguenau wasn't that bad, he decided. It had been a while since he'd had to distribute anything. Bastogne hadn't exactly been a time of luxuries.

Through the door, he could see Malarkey sit at the only table in the living room, a cigarette between his fingers. It looked as if he'd just lit it. “Hey Malark! Mind if I join you?”

Malarkey just raised an eyebrow. “You only want to get some of my smoke.”

“Ah, darn, you just know me too well.” Luz replied and grinned, crossing the room towards his friend.

“All right, all right.” Malarkey chuckled and held out his cigarette. “Come on and sit down already.”

Luz didn't need to be told twice. He took the offered smoke and sat down on the only other chair. “You're an angel.”

A snort. “With smokes.”

“That's part of what makes you an angel, man.” Luz grinned again and handed the Lucky Strike back.

“You're so easy, Luz.”

“I know.”

“I had that smoke lit for over a minute. What took you so long to get over here?” Malarkey asked before handing the cigarette over the table once again.

“I was bringing in all those supply boxes.” Luz waved his hand at the general direction of the door. “You could have helped me, by the way.”

“Nah, I don't want to steal your work.” Malark smirked and took the smoke back. “Might make you look lazy.“

“Thanks, man, I really appreciate your concern.” Luz huffed and glanced over at the supplies he was supposed to distribute. “I'm really glad we have Lip.”

“And how's that?” Malarkey asked through the Lucky Strike dangling from the corner of his mouth, clearly surprised at the change of topic.

“You should see the other companies.” Luz gestured at the bags and boxes. “Lip's pretty good at getting us what he thinks we need. Even sick, he's still very efficient.”

Malarkey gave him a smirk and offered the cigarette again. “True enough. If I saw correctly, we even have Hershey's thanks to Mama Lip.”

“Yup, he's the best Mama any company could wish for.”

“Hmm.” Malarkey pursed his lips as if he was deep in thought. “If Lip's the Mama, who's the Papa, then?”

Luz didn't even have to think about that one. “Speirs, of course.”

“Are you mad? Speirs?” Malark looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. Or sprouted a second head.

“Sure.” Luz replied and pulled on the cigarette. “Just watch them together. I mean, they're almost like Winters and Nixon.”

“Nah, Winters and Nixon are already an old married couple. Nobody's quite like them.” Malarkey replied and shrugged. “Takes years to get to that stage. Speirs has just been with us for a few weeks, though.”

“True enough.” Luz had to agree. Winters and Nixon were really something else. In a way.

“Why do we need a Papa, anyway?” Malarkey mused and lit a new cigarette, kindly leaving Luz the rest of the old one. “Easy's fine with just a Mama.”

“But somebody has to take care of the Mama.” Luz responded with utter certainty in his voice.

“And why's that?” Malark asked, his eyebrow raised quizzically.

“Because she wouldn't do it. She'd always take care of everybody else, but never enough of herself.” Luz shrugged. “Exactly like Lip. He's always taking care of us, every single one of us. But I don't think he takes enough care of himself.”

As if on cue, through the window, they saw Lipton leave their house, more stumbling than walking, but still looking like a man with a mission. Luz couldn't help snorting. “Just look at him. He's sick to the bones and is still trying to get things done. For all it's worth, he should be in hospital. Or at least in the aid station.”

Malarkey nodded, watching the second lieutenant trying to cross the street. “He won't go, though. Even Speirs didn't manage to make him leave.”

“Exactly. Because he won't abandon us.” Luz grinned, satisfied that he'd made his point. “Just like your Mama. Always there for you.”

“So, who's taking care of him?” Malark seemed to get what he was trying to point out.

“ _We_ sure as hell aren't.” Luz said and couldn't help feeling vaguely guilty while watching Lipton through the window. Before Lip had even managed to get to the middle of the street, a figure walked straight towards him, every step speaking of barely suppressed anger. There was only one person Luz had ever known who could walk so straight and still look so dangerous. Speirs stopped right in front of Lip and the lieutenant immediately stood at attention, but even from their rather distant point of view, Luz and Malarkey could see the tremors that ran through his body.

“Hospital, I tell you.” Luz remarked, more to himself than Malarkey. God knew how many times in the past weeks he'd tried to get Lip to accept that a few days at the aid station would do him good. But even sick, Lip was stubborn as hell.

Speirs said something to Lip, and although Luz couldn't hear a word, it was clear from the captain's body language that the he wasn't pleased. Speirs talked some more and then Luz saw the second lieutenant flinch. Luz frowned. He had never seen Lip intimidated by Speirs and it was strange to see it now. Suddenly, Lip doubled over with a cough fit that was loud enough to be heard even inside the house. Luz watched how Speirs' whole attitude changed immediately, how the anger seemed to be forgotten in favour of supporting Lipton, how his hands took hold of the Lip's waist and struggled to keep him from sinking down.

It took a while until the coughing died down and Lip got back on his feet. He nodded to something Speirs said, then the captain pulled Lip's arm around his neck and wrapped his own arm around Lip's waist, more carrying than guiding the lieutenant back into the house.

“Maybe you're right.” Malarkey shook his head with bewilderment, cigarette forgotten in his hand. “They really are Mama Lip and Papa Speirs.”

***

He'd barely made it to the middle of the street when he saw Captain Speirs' straight-backed figure approach him with all the finesse of an angry stallion. Lipton barely managed to suppress a groan. He'd hoped to get at least something done before getting caught.

“What the hell are you doing, lieutenant?” Speirs' voice was angry, his expression seemingly cold, but Lipton had no problem seeing the fire in those eyes now that he knew how to read them. He straightened, trying to stand at attention, but he couldn't suppress the shivers that ran through his whole body. He knew Ron would see them, but he couldn't help it.

“I have to talk to the supply officer about more blankets for the men, sir. Several don't even have....”

“I told you to stay in bed, lieutenant.” Speirs interrupted, his brow pulled together, an angry line between them. “In fact, I remember _ordering_ you to not get up, except for going to the bathroom.”

“But it's my job to take care that the men...”

“And what makes you think that you're doing a good job when you're ruining your own health in the process?” Lipton could see that Speirs was truly angry, not just in one of his moods. There was real, profound anger, and Lipton didn't entirely understand why. “You're not helping anybody if you die of pneumonia because you didn't rest when you could have.”

Speirs' words weren't cold, no, they were silent but spiked with barely suppressed fury. They made Lipton flinch.

“I agreed to keep you with us and not have you stay at the hospital because I know how much it means to you.” Speirs went on, voice still low but no less heated. “Don't make me regret it, Lip.”

“I didn't mean to...”

“Just go back to bed. I'm going to talk to supplies and take care of the blankets.” Ron interrupted his attempt at an explanation. Then, suddenly, his voice dropped. “Don't make tie you to the bedposts, Carwood.”

“Again?” Lip replied with a smirk and couldn't help a chuckle. Immediately, it transformed into a cough fit that had him bent over with its vigour, and he felt Ron's hands take hold of his waist, supporting his weight and keeping him from sinking onto his knees into the muddy street. His eyes watered and he felt as if somebody was trying to pull his lungs out. The contractions in his abdomen caused by the violent coughing just didn't come to an end and Lipton felt his right hand claw into Ron's arm. His knees long since had given out, and it was only Ron's tight grip that kept him on his feet.

It seemed to take forever until he could finally take a breath without coughing, and he took a moment to regain his strength and slow his frantic breathing before he dared to slowly stand up. Ron's hands were still firmly on his waist, not trusting him to remain standing on his own.

“I hope you get my point now.” Ron said quietly, but there was no triumph in his voice, only sincere concern. Lipton wanted to answer, but his throat was rough and hurt so much and he knew from experience that his voice wouldn't work, so he just gave a slow nod.

“Good.” Ron replied and grabbed Lipton's arm to pull it around his neck so he could better support his weight. “Now, let's get you back to bed.”

Lipton just nodded again, he felt too spent and tired to protest. His legs were so terribly heavy that every step seemed to take a huge effort and his head hurt as if he'd taken a serious beating. He felt a cramp forming in his stomach from all the coughing and he only wanted to get back into the nice bed with the real mattress that stood on the first floor. Get back under the warm, soft blanket that he knew Ron had looted for him from somewhere. He was so exhausted that he didn't even care from where.

They reached the main door and Ron kicked it open, then he forced Bull to take a step back and press against the wall of the hallway so that Ron could half carry half drag Lipton towards the stairs.

“Did he escape again, sir?” Bull asked and Lipton really wished that he was stronger so that he could hit him for asking that question. He had to content himself with glaring.

“So he did, Randleman.” Ron replied without reducing his pace. “He didn't even get across the street this time, though.”

“You should tie him down, sir.” Bull suggested, the cigar askew due to his huge grin. Behind him in the living room, Lipton saw Luz and Malarkey break out into laughter.

“I actually thought about it.” Ron agreed, his face serious, but Lipton could see the amusement in his eyes. They reached the staircase and Ron took a better hold of his arm around his neck and began heaving him upstairs. Lipton did his best to carry as much of his weight as he could, but he had to admit that he felt exhausted.

“Just for the record,” Speirs said quietly when they'd gone half of the way, not looking up from the stairs. There was a mischievous smirk tugging on his lips. “I prefer you tied to the bed when you writhe in pleasure, not in a pneumonia induced cough fit.”

It was enough to send Lipton coughing again, although he was _sure_ if it wasn't pneumonia induced. He was just glad that he could explain the bright red of his cheeks with his sickness when they crossed Webster in the hallway on the first floor.

**Author's Note:**

> The beautiful banner for the series was made by my dear Megan_Moonlight!


End file.
